Visible index



March 31. 1925.

D. A. wILcox VIS IBLE INDX Original Filed March 10, 1920 Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

UNITED STA DANIEL A. wrLeox, or LoUIsvILLE, KEN

QF :NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,

TUCKY, ASSIGNOR TO INDEX V'ISIBLE, INC.,

`A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

VISIBLE INDEX.

Appucauon :um naron'io, 1920, serial No. 364,701.

To all whom it may concer/11.!

Be it known that I, DANIEL A. WILCOX, a citizen of the United QStates, residing at Louisville, in the county of J ederson, State of Kentucky@ have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Visiblev Indexes; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable 'others skilled in the art-l to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a visible index in which a plurality of cards-are arranged to expose a portion upon which the identifying characteristic of the card appears.

Heretofore visible indexes frames in which cards bearing Ythe desired information are arranged, the cards being disposed in overlapping relation with the lower edge exposed. Such frames are )expensive and cumbersome and do'not ylend themselves readily to the requirements of an.-

expanding index. Thus, for example, the number of cards to be inserted under a given divisionmay be estimated, but-When this number is exceeded all 'of the cards must be shifted in the frames which entails considerable labor and accompanying expense. iT he frames, moreover, support the cards* indi-y vidually and it is not possible, therefore, to remove a group of cards asa unit as is sometimes desirable.

"It is the object of the come the disadvantages of visible indexes as heretofore known and to? provide an inexpensive and satisfactory index consisting of a plurality of articulat d cards which may be readily separated 'rom the index singly or in groups and T fwhich .may be handled in an ordinary type writing'maehine without separating the cards, 'f desired, to

invention to overtype information on the exposed lower edgesA of the cards.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawing, in which- F ig. 1 is 'an elevation of a group of articulated cards forming a visible index;

Fig. 2 is an edge View thereof;

Fig. 3 is anelevation of a single card;

Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail in section illustrating the interlocking of the cards; and

havev comprised Renewed July 21, 1922. Serial No. 576,630.

Fig. 5 is a detail in elevation illustrating the mode of separating' the cards.

l-n carrying out the invention, the cards are provided with interlocking means such as may be readily formed by slitting so that each card is engaged and securely held by the succeeding card in overlapping relation with Ttheir lower edges exposed. Upon the exposed edges the indexed material ma beV typed, for of ya credit customer with the amount of credit to which he is entitled while the remainder of the card is devoted to information bearing upon the customers rating. Of ,course the foregoing is merely an example of 'use to which the index is adapted and it may be used for a variety of corresponding purposes to which any adapted.

Since theeards are, all identical vin form,

any card or group of cards may be remove and any number of cards may be inserted in place of or between the separated cards at will. No frame is required, thus doing away entirely with an expensive item of visible indexes. The index may be hung upon a wall, or any suitable support may be provided. Groups of cards may be removed as 1a unit forany purpose without disturbing their relation, and a plurality of cards may betyped while they are connected, thus obviating the necessity of handling individual cards.

p Referring to the drawing for' a more de-' tailed disclosure ,of the invention, which, however, is intended to be illustrative without imposing unnecessary limitations as to the lexact Inode of connecting the cards, 5 indicates acard of proper size to bear the information which yit is desired to preserve for reference. x The identifying characteristics of the card, such as the name of an individual is typed the lateral edges of the card.V

example, the name and ad ress visible index is.

orvotherwise applied tothe lower edge of the card. At opposite since the permit hanging on built up in. this manner until a sulicient number of cards have been connected.

hile the cards are firmly articulated in manner so that they become in effect a nit, the assembly is suiiiciently flexible Ito erinit any card to be' turned back to expose iat portion' of the underlying card which is normally covered rlhe lower edges are normally exposed and consequently the desired card may be quickly selected and the desired data becomes at once available by turning back the o'verlyimg` card.

lill/hen it is desired to remove one or'more cards for the purliose of replacing or inserting cards, the desired card is flexed slig/htly vto withdraw. it from the tabs of they underlying card and the tabs on the selected card are similarly withdrawn from theoverlying card. ln this manner,v a single vcard or grou of cards may be separated with facility from the index. By reversing'the operation the card or cards may be reinserted or`additional cards may be interposed Wi'tl'iout disturbing the relation ot' the remaining cards forming the index.

The cards may be punched as at 8 to.

a suitable support 'and while the tabs will be sufficiently strong to' withstand ordinary usage if the cards are made fromv stock usually employed for such purposes, the' tabs `inay be reinforced toy prevent tearing. i rein the foregoing it will be understood that the invention provides a visible index which is, relatively inexpensive since no 'iframe is required. rl-"he index will never-v theless sere all of the purposes of in#r defies req ing trames and as pointed ont' it may advantageously replace such. indexes cards are Ihandled with much greater acidity. `The invention provides, therefore, a valuable, adjunct to business in which visible` indexes have been 'tounrl a most ellicient 'means of n'iainlaining re'- qnired data in readily available form.

Various changes may be made in the forni and arrangen'ient of thei index witluiut departing from the invention or sacrifie-i ing any of its advantages.

claim:

A. card for use in constructing visible esl said card being out atnits. upper" "to :torni a pair oi inwardly directefl and having slits extending inwardly its lateral edges inf spaced relation le upper edge ol? the card. 4

card for. usein constructing visible infn-mes. haring a pair ol" tabs adjacent the upper ediJ and aipairoi slitsspaeed o tabs. said slits being spaced from i' odge of the card a distance subv eaplnl to twice the widthof the sul the el "said slits correture.

I. spending to the spacing of the bases said tabs from the vlateral edges of the cards.

3; A Visible index comprising a plurality of articulated cards, each card being cut at its upperiedge to form a pair of inwardly directed tabs, and having slits ex-' `tending inwardly from the lateral edges in spaced relation with the upper edge of the card, the tabs on each card overlying the superposed card to hold the cards in assembled relation Withthe portions of the underlying card at the bases of the tabs engaging .the slits in the superposed card.

4. An index or the 'like comprising -a plurality'of cards, said cards being provided With cooperating slits opening through the edgesw'thereof whereby they maybe interengaged inoverlapping-frelation with a portion-of` each card exposed.

An index or the like comprising a plurality of cards, each card being provided with a slit opening through the up-.AA

per edge'rv thereof to provide a tab and a second /slit below the first andopening through alateral edge vof the card.' 61A visible index or the like1compr1sprovided with a plurality of slits openingl through the edgesy thereof,'certain of the slits of one cardl being adapted 'to be in-v terengaged with certain of thefslits of an adjacent card to hold them in overlapping' relation. l ,'7. A visible index comprising a' plurality of cards, each card beingv provided with upper' and lower lower slit ofan upper card `may be en# gaged with the upper slit of a lower card to retain the cards in overlapping/rela tion with 1 of exposed.' x 4 i 8. A visible index or the like ing ay plurality of cards, each card being slit to provide tabs, a opening through the lateral edges off the cards witlrwhich the 'tab slits may befinhe, lower portion el each theref terengaged to retain the lcards'in overlapping relation withthe-lower portion of nach exposed. y y

9. Afnwindex or the like comprising a plurality ot' overlapping cards, `each card having a slitfcut through the upperedge ther-er.

teral edge of an adjacentof to receive a la card to secure thetwo in nested-relationf 10. An -index or the like comprising/a plurality 'et' overlapping cards.,v each card having a slit cut through the upper 4edge thereof anda second slit cut 'throughy the laterhl'edge thereof, the laterally opening slit of one-card cooperating wi Wardly opening slit-,of another card to .se-v cure the two together.

In testimony. whereof .l atix my signa DANIEL A, WiLoolX,

compris ththe upi i in nested relation open slits whereby the 4 ing a plurality of cards, each carol being l nd having other/slits# r No 

